


The Start of the Future

by Writing a Better Life (WABL)



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-10
Updated: 2013-02-10
Packaged: 2017-11-28 20:11:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/678432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WABL/pseuds/Writing%20a%20Better%20Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grimmy convinces Greg that it would be funny to hang out with Louis to see how the internet reacts, and Greg decides to go along with it, not realising that Louis is having difficulty adjusting to life after his break-up with Harry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Start of the Future

**Author's Note:**

> This was written over the course of some months, started on the day of the Teen Awards and finished after Greg was in Afghanistan, and it became a lot of things for me in that time, so I hope you enjoy it.

The band was buzzing as they climbed into their waiting van in the bowels of Wembley Arena, fresh from their first performance of Live While We’re Young, and three wins at the Radio 1 Teen Awards. As the van passed through the gate and onto the road, Louis turned to Harry, his cold voice cutting through the laughter and general joviality of the others.

“You’re actually fucking him, aren’t you?”

“Whoa, Louis,” Zayn said, “That’s a bit outta line.”

Louis ignored him and continued to stare at Harry, who met his eyes and nodded slowly, “yep.”

Niall shook his head, muttering something about how ‘ _they’_ weren’t going to let Harry be with Nick either.

“Nice to know that you think enough of me to shove it in my face,” Louis said.

“I’m not the one who called our relationship the biggest piece of bullshit you’ve ever heard,” Harry retorted, almost yelling.

“Well on that day it was,” Louis replied.

“You didn’t have to put it on Twitter, Lou,” Niall said.

“Niall, you know that if it were up to me, I would never mention ‘Larry Stylinson’ again,” Louis said angrily, “and you know it damn well too Harry, not that it matters anymore.”

“Why are you still with _her_ anyway?” Harry asked, his voice curious, “Surely there’s no reason considering we’re not together.”

“She’s under a contract, you know that.”

“Yeah, to cover us up.”

“Apparently it’s still a good image for some of us to have girlfriends, especially after …” They all looked to Liam, whose gaze dropped to his shoes as he figured out what Louis was saying. “Sorry, Li, I’m not blaming you or anything.”

Liam looked up, “could you two just stop fighting about this? You’re both going to move on and date different people, if you fight about it every time; it’s going to affect the band.”

“We haven’t let it so far,” Harry said.

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll still be a ton of girls going crazy over the looks we shared today.” Louis added.

“But what if we don’t want to be around your fighting?” Zayn asked.

Harry and Louis locked eyes, making a mutual decision to drop it. But it didn’t mean that Louis wasn’t still annoyed. Harry could have at least told him. Could have warned him that Louis was going to have to paste a smile on his face while his ex-boyfriend flirted outrageously with the ‘friend’ he’d sworn was nothing more. Could have given Louis that one courtesy so that he didn’t have to hide every emotion he had in front of 10,000 people. Not that it had been difficult, half of Louis’s smiles were fake and forced these days, but he wouldn’t have been looking forward to this day as a day when he would be genuinely happy.

 

**

 

“Mate, you are a fan girl’s dream,” Nick said, sitting next to Greg on a couch at the official Radio 1 after party. Party was a loose term, as it had been a requirement to attend, and they had all made plans to ditch it as soon as possible.

“What are you on about Grimmy?” Greg replied.

“Well, there’s your face for a start, and your lovely voice.”

“Did you have a point, or are you just trying to flirt with me?” Greg asked, “Because I really thought that we’d established that-”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re straight,” Nick finished for him, “but you can’t blame a guy for trying. I was talking about you and Louis Tomlinson on Twitter, mate, fan girl’s dream.”

Greg looked puzzled, “It was just a couple of messages about the show…”

“Ah, Greg, so naïve,” Nick said patronisingly, “Anyone who interacts with One Direction is automatically subject to relentless speculation and fantasies.”

“Well you’d know.”

“That I would,” Nick said, “seriously, mate, you should check out your Twitter mentions or Tumblr if you’re brave. You do know what Tumblr is?”

“Course I know what Tumblr is,” Greg grumbled, pulling out his phone. Nick moved away as Greg scrolled through Twitter. There was certainly a lot more interest in him than there had been two days ago, and apparently Louis and his hug at the awards had prompted a lot of ‘feels’.

Greg found Nick talking to Gemma. “You were right,” he said.

“When aren’t I?” Nick replied.

“What about?” Gemma asked.

“People are ‘shipping’ me and Louis Tomlinson.” Greg said, his tone indicated that he was still rather confused by the whole thing. Gemma burst out laughing.

“Do you know what would be funny?” Nick began.

“I’m sure it won’t be.” Greg said.

“You should flirt with him,” Nick continued, “Give them something to really flap about.”

“Trying to take attention away from you and Harry, Grimmy?” Gemma asked, having recovered from her laughing fit.

“I noticed you only mentioned him twice on Friday’s show,” Greg added.

“We’re not talking about me right now,” Nick grumbled, “We’re talking about how funny it would be to see the internet get all worked up over Greg and Louis.”

“It would be pretty good, Greg,” Gemma said.

“Apparently some of them died when we hugged,” Greg mumbled, though the other two took no notice of him.

Nick gasped as a sudden idea struck him, “You should invite him to the pub after this! Text him now.”

“Make sure you add a wink face,” Gemma laughed.

“But, doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” Greg tried to protest.

Nick laughed, “Doesn’t mean anything to the internet.”

“Go on,” Gemma encouraged, “just for a laugh.”

“Fine,” Greg said, pulling his phone out, typing a quick text and pressing send, “happy?”

He didn’t think anything would come of it.

 

**

 

Louis slammed his front door closed, and the bang echoed around his empty flat. He still wasn’t used to living alone. This was when he missed Harry most, when he came back to this empty, lifeless flat. He had no memories here, well, no good ones. He remembered the first morning he had woken up in this new flat, absolutely craving the eggs that Harry had used to make him. He had tried to make them himself, but had only succeeded in burning his hand. He remembered the night he’d woken alone in bed, some unimportant dream bothering him, and he had realised that for the first time in a long time, there was no one to cuddle and comfort him. He remembered the pitiful look on Perrie’s face when Zayn and her had first walked in and seen what a hopeless excuse for an adult he was, he couldn’t even clean.

He fell onto the couch, physically exhausted after the awards, and mentally drained from his fight with Harry. He groaned and pulled out his phone, because he really should thank the fans. He _wanted_ to thank the fans, because he honestly did love being able to perform and record, and even doing some interviews. He just never thought that being famous would be so … tiring. It wasn’t like any other job, where he could go home and get away from it, even when he was on holiday he was still famous, and anything he did could jeopardise his career. That point had made extremely clear to Louis and Harry when they had come out to their management. By pursuing a relationship, they were putting what they had worked for at risk. That, among other things about branding and marketability, is what they had been told repeatedly.

Louis typed out a tweet about how great the day had been, then quickly scrolled through his feed. He hardly spent any time on Twitter these days, it was bad enough knowing that people hated him, he didn’t need to read every horrible thing they said. But today, at least, there was something good – Greg James had tweeted him again. It brought a smile to his face, yesterday had been a good day, and had reminded him why he loved his life. The radio show had been great fun, and Greg had kept saying that he was a natural, so maybe it was something that Louis could pursue after One Direction inevitably ended.

His phone beeped with a new message, from none other than Greg:

_Hey Louis, you guys rocked it today! A few of the Radio 1 guys are heading out to celebrate the awards, it’d be great to hang out away from the radio and cameras and what not. Properly discuss our show ideas ;) let me know, Greg._

Well, that was unexpected. Lots of interviewers made offers of friendship on air, but hardly any followed up, it was just a trick to get the show talked about. Louis had enjoyed Greg’s company yesterday; maybe it would be good to hang out with some different people. If Harry could be biffles (or fuck buddies, whatever they were) with a radio host, why couldn’t Louis?

 

**

 

Louis was directed to a private room at the pub which he had thankfully reached unnoticed. There were a few djs – Greg, Gemma, Huw Stephens – and other people he recognised from the times he had been at the station, and a few people he’d seen at the awards. They were spread out around a few tables and a small bar. Louis realised that he was probably the biggest name in the room, which was still really strange. He’d been listening to these people on the radio for years, and now they were playing _his_ songs.

Greg saw him as he was ushered into the room and was instantly on his feet.

“Louis!” he called, “glad you came!”

Louis quirked an eyebrow and Greg laughed as he realised what he’d said.

“Or maybe I should say … um, well, you don’t have a song that says anything like that, so … you want a drink?”

Greg wrapped an arm around Louis’s shoulders and Louis couldn’t help but feel a little weird about the fact that he fitted neatly into Greg’s armpit. Greg insisted on buying him a beer, and then pulled him to a table where Gemma and a female producer Louis vaguely recognised were sitting.

“Hey Louis,” Gemma said, leaning over the table to kiss his cheek, “really well done today.”

“Thanks,” Louis replied, an easy smile appearing on his face as he sat down next to Greg, “It was great fun.”

“You guys really were awesome, maybe the best I’ve ever heard you,” Greg said, “loved your solos.”

“Really? Wow, thank you. It was a bit difficult because the crowd was just so loud, but…” Louis glanced shyly at Greg, “thanks.”

“Do you ever get used to it, the screaming?” Gemma asked, “Because it was insane even where I was backstage.”

“I’ve learned how to cope with it,” Louis told them, “But I don’t think it’s something anyone could ever get used to. Thank god for in-ears I have to say.”

“And congrats on the awards,” Gemma added, “Although you were probably expecting them, yeah?”

“Whoa Gemma,” Greg said, “He’s not here for an interview.”

Louis laughed, “It’s alright. It was … less of a shock than winning the Brit, or the VMAs, but you still never know. I mean, I never thought when I auditioned for X-Factor that two years later I would be just about to release a second album, or perform on the same stage as Ne-Yo or Taylor Swift. Or be hanging at a pub with the best of Radio 1.”

“Oh, you’re a charmer, Louis Tomlinson.” Gemma said. Greg raised his glass in a tiny toast to the compliment.

Louis grinned, “I try. Now I have to ask to see your nails again, because it is just awesome that my face is on them.”

The table laughed and Gemma held out her hands.

“Did you all see the banners?” the other woman at the table asked.

“Yeah,” Greg said, “I saw one get taken away from someone, very very rude.”

“What’d it say?” Louis asked.

As Greg went to answer, a new voice joined their conversation. “Louis Tomlinson!” Nick croaked, his voice rising dramatically at the end.

Louis turned to face the one person he had most definitely not wanted to see, who had not yet cleaned the texta off his face, “Nick.”

“Great show mate, great show. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” Nick asked.

“Greg invited me.” Louis answered shortly.

“Did he?” Nick said lightly, “Trying to snap up your own 1D friend?”

Nick was pushing him, Greg knew, trying to get a rise, “We’re the start of the future, Louis and I, best radio friends ever.”

“Radio friends,” Gemma and Nick repeated in sing-song voices. Louis drained his drink and stood.

“Anyone else need another?” he asked.

No one did, so he made his way to the bar alone. He had just been given his beer when Nick appeared beside him. Before the older man could say anything, Louis asked, “Have you worked out how to do that thing to his nipples that makes him scream.”

Nick gaped at Louis for a full ten seconds before stuttering, “He told you then?”

“No,” Louis snapped, “I worked it out for myself because you two were so fucking obvious.”

Nick started to say something, but Louis cut him off, “I’m good at acting around other people, but don’t fucking say another word to me.”

Louis walked back to Greg’s table, sliding back into his seat. His fake smile was once again plastered to his face.

“Nick said bye to you then?” Gemma asked, “Said he had a roast dinner waiting. Lucky bugger, wonder who his latest squeeze is.”

The others at the table speculated on this for quite a while and Louis sipped at his drink, trying not to let the conversation get to him. Harry bloody would cook a massive meal for Nick, to celebrate how well he’d hosted the awards or some other sentimental shit. The boy was an absolutely hopeless romantic, and now that Louis wasn’t the focus of it, he found it sickening. Louis forced himself to drink his beer slowly, but when he’d finished it and Greg got up to get more, Louis took the opportunity to leave.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good company tonight,” he apologised, “Sometimes those shows just take it out of you.”

His kissed Gemma and the producer on the cheek in farewell then followed Greg to the bar. Shaking the dj’s hand, he said, “Thanks, for inviting me tonight, a lot of people say they will and then never do.”

“Thanks for coming,” Greg smiled, “I’m sure you had much better things you could have been doing.”

Louis thought back to his hideously empty flat, “Not really … Well Greg, I look forward to hearing your dulcet tones on the wireless tomorrow.”

“I look forward to playing your lovely voice, Louis.”

.

**

 

“You’re too good to me, Harry,” Nick said when he saw the spread Harry had prepared.

“You deserve it,” Harry said, giving Nick a quick peck, “you were great today.”

“So were you,” Nick said with a small smile.

Harry dropped his head, “Thanks, let’s eat yeah?”

They sat down, and as Harry served the food, he said quietly, “Louis knows.”

Nick nodded, “I know.”

Harry looked up questioningly.

“I saw him at the pub before I came here,” Nick explained, “he wasn’t very happy to see me.”

“Why was he there?”

“I think I did a bad thing Harry,” Nick sighed, “I sort of encouraged Greg to flirt with Louis, thought it would be a laugh.”

Harry reached out and gripped Nick’s hand, “Louis’s a big boy, he can deal with it. And it would be pretty funny, if it weren’t for … everything else.”

“I don’t want to make things worse for you.”

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll sort it out. We’re surely not the first exes who’ve had to work together. Now, can we talk about something else?”

“Of course,” Nick smiled, “like how disappointing it was that Tom Daley wasn’t there in person?”

Harry laughed loudly, “You are such a cradle snatcher.”

“Shut up, have you ever dated someone who _wasn’t_ older than you?”

 

**

 

A few days pass before Nick can discreetly corner Greg somewhere in the Radio 1 offices and try to tell him not to lead Louis on.

“So I know that I just blabbered for about ten minutes,” he concluded, “but someone I was talking who knows Louis-”

“Harry,” Greg guessed.

Nick ignored him, “and said that it’s probably not a good idea to mess with him.”

Greg peered at Nick, wondering why he had thought it necessary to talk to him about this. Nick Grimshaw was not known for backing out of anything.

“It’s sort of too late, Grimmy.”

“What do you mean?” Nick asked.

“We’ve been texting all week,” Greg said, “and not because I thought it would be funny or people on the internet would like it. He seems like a pretty good kid, don’t know why he’s got such a reputation as a … what is it they call him?”

“Sassquatch,” Nick answered, “and they’re not really kids, Greg.”

“You still haven’t gotten over the time that someone mistook you for Harry’s dad, have you?” Greg grinned.

“No!” Nick cried, “I am not that old! I am less than 9 and a half years older than him! If we were 30 and 40 no one would care!”

Greg shook his head, laughing, and walked away, knowing that if he let Grimmy go on about this he would be stuck there for hours.

 

**

_Hey Greg, great show again today :) I think I should save that as a template or whatever in my phone because they’re always good, but that’s not the point of the message. You free for a drink tonight, or are you too busy being a radio star?_

Just because Greg was on the radio didn’t mean that he didn’t get a little bit star struck sometimes, and it certainly didn’t mean that people as famous as Louis Tomlinson wanting to get a drink with him was a regular occurrence. But it wasn’t even really about the fame thing; texting Louis made Greg feel happy, it was fun. It didn’t even make Greg feel weird that their texts could definitely be described as flirty, because it just felt natural. It must be something about Louis, because Greg had seen more than enough interviews to know that was how the Doncaster lad was, funny and flirty and charming.

So of course Greg said yes to drinks, and received the most convoluted instructions on how to get a bar where Louis said they would actually be able to relax. When he arrived, Louis was already in a booth sipping slowly on a glass of wine. He greeted Greg with a handshake and a hug and waved the waitress over.

“I still can’t believe you listened even when you were in Paris,” Greg said once he’d got a drink.

Louis grinned, “It seemed like the best way to spend my time between interviews.”

“You couldn’t have gone and done something French?”

“Not on this trip,” Louis sighed, “Promo is definitely the worst thing. We don’t even get to sing most of the time; just do the same interview over and over.”

“Sorry about that,” Greg said, “Next time I’ve got you all on I promise to ask not one question you’ve ever been asked before.”

Louis laughed, “Good luck with that!”

“I could do it, I reckon,” Greg puffed out his chest, “Might be the strangest chat ever, but at least it wouldn’t be boring for you.”

“That’s why last Saturday was so good,” Louis said, “We didn’t have to go through all the usual bollocks, just got to hang out and have fun. It was great, really.”

“Glad you enjoyed it,” Greg smiled.

It was just so easy. They drank and they talked, carrying on from a few conversations they’d had via text throughout the week. Louis felt himself loosening up, forgetting for a while all the masks he had to wear - the Louis that was in love with Eleanor, the Louis that wasn’t heartbroken because he’d broken up with the boy he’d thought he could spend the rest of his life with, the Louis that was hilarious in interviews, the Louis who was fearless on stage, the Louis who wasn’t bothered by the fact that his ex had moved on before him. They all slipped away and there was only the Louis from Doncaster who just happened to make his living singing and at this moment was having a good time with a friend.

Which is why he slipped when Greg said, “We really should do karaoke though. Next week some time? You should bring Eleanor and we’ll make a proper night of it.”

And it was the alcohol or just the fact that he was so comfortable with Greg that had him saying absent-mindedly, “She’s not working next weekend.”

“What?” Greg asked, and Louis realised what he had said, shit.

“I mean…” Louis stuttered, “She’s got stuff on at uni next weekend and she’s coming to the football game so she can’t really …”

He trailed off because Greg was still looking at him strangely. Not pitying, like his mum had looked when he’d told her that he was going to have a fake girlfriend. Not confused, like his sisters had been. Not furious, like Harry had been after the first time Louis and Eleanor had been photographed kissing. Just, curious, understanding, and … willing to listen?

“She’s not working next weekend,” Louis repeated firmly.

Greg nodded, “Not working … as your girlfriend?”

“Exactly.”

“So does that mean that you and …”

“Harry and I were together, until a couple of months ago,” Louis confirmed.

“Wow,” Greg said, “They really made you have a beard? I thought we were past that.”

“Not when there’s money to be made,” Louis said bitterly.

“But you and Harry broke up?”

“Yeah,” Louis replied, “It just wasn’t working any more. We were fighting too much and it was just too hard when there was so much pressure on us to not be together.”

“I’m sorry, Louis.” Greg said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s alright,” Louis said, “It’s actually been easier to work with each other since we broke up, most of the time.”

“So why are you still ‘dating’ Eleanor?” Greg asked.

“Contracts and stuff about it still being good for our image,” Louis said, “and after Liam and Danielle broke up management said they didn’t want to go through it again so quickly.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did they pick a uni student? They usually use models or actors, make it good for both careers, yeah?”

“You can ask,” Louis said, “It’s sort of, nice, to be able to talk about it. I’d met her already through some friends, and I think there were a couple of photos of us going around, small rumours and stuff. They thought it would be less obvious if she wasn’t famous.”

“I really had no idea that sort of thing still happened. I’m not going to lie, we make jokes at work sometimes, but no one actually believes it.”

“Plenty of fans do,” Louis commented.

Greg nodded, he had recently realised the strength of belief among the One Direction fandom, “the offer for karaoke is still on the table, unless you’ve got a contract saying you can’t sing without permission?”

It was a terrible attempt at a joke, but Louis smiled nonetheless, “Sounds like fun, but you will have to get me extremely drunk first.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

 

**

 

The promise of another night out with Greg kept Louis sane throughout the many interviews he had to do that week. In between two of them, Zayn pulled him aside and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Of course,” Louis replied, “happy as La – I’m fine.”

“So that thing the other day with Harry?” Zayn prompted.

Louis looked away, “I was just upset that he hadn’t told me, hadn’t warned me that I would have to see them flirting and stuff, like we used to do.”

“So you’re not hanging out with Greg James to get back at Harry or anything?” Zayn asked.

“What? No!” Louis insisted, “I had a really good time on his show and we just kept talking after that. Can I not have friends Zayn?”

“Of course you can, mate,” Zayn said, “I was just trying to see if you were okay with everything, coz I know that Liam’s getting all the attention at the moment and Harry’s obviously off in his own world.”

“I know, I know. Thanks, Z.”

 

**

 

It was inevitable that there would be pictures taken of them, but Greg had not expected the reactions of his workmates. They all thought it was hilarious that he was suddenly great buddies with Louis, and some mentioned that he was trying to steal Grimmy’s ‘thing’ by being friends with One Direction. Gemma however, thought he was still doing it as a joke.

“Are you really going along with this Louis thing because Grimmy thought it would be funny?” She asked Greg.

“Nah, he actually told me the other day that I shouldn’t lead Louis on or something.”

“Nick Grimshaw backing out of a joke?” Gemma asked, “He must’ve had a good reason.”

“Yeah, he must have,” Greg said, thinking that he probably now knew the reason Grimmy had no longer thought Greg pretending to be friends with Louis would be funny.

“So you’re actually like, proper friends?” Gemma asked.

“Yeah, he’s a funny lad. Obviously he’s a scream in interviews, but that’s something that he’s not putting on at all, and he’s pretty down to earth considering everything.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a bit of a man crush,” Gemma joked.

“Oh, sod off.”

“There would be worse-looking people to turn gay for,” Gemma said, “Like Russel Kane.”

“That was one time!” Greg said, “And it was for a show!”

“Keep telling yourself that. God though, why can’t I get super chummy with 1D?”

“Because it’s still a little weird that you shaved their band name into your head.”

The thing was, Radio 1 was a fairly jovial workplace. It was to be expected, they were all entertainers and quick witted. You couldn’t last a day without making a joke at someone else’s expense, and being the butt of one yourself. It was all in good fun. But what Gemma had said got Greg thinking. His friendship with Louis was a little strange for him. He found himself waiting for the lad’s text after his show, knowing that no matter what it said it would bring a smile to his face. And he tried really hard to text something funny back, wanting to make Louis smile. He couldn’t wait for when they went out again, when he would be able to make Louis laugh, because hearing Louis laugh gave him a weird feeling of satisfaction and joy. Maybe this was that whole bromance thing that the internet and magazines seemed so obsessed over in the past few years, because Greg definitely didn’t want to be more than Louis’s friend, right?

 

**

 

They went to karaoke on a Thursday night, thinking that it might be less busy. But still Louis insisted that they would go late at night, only stay an hour, and that they must both be sufficiently intoxicated before going. That was why Greg found himself trying to keep up with Louis as they raced between three pubs, trying to drink as much as they could before they were noticed. Even though Louis had set rules, Greg was still having more fun than he’d had in ages, and found himself wishing that he was just a little bit younger, because keeping up with the 20-year-old was difficult. Louis was a fireball of energy, bouncing around and gulping down his drinks in one go. It was the only way he’d been able to have fun recently, by appearing happy, he would become happy. And with Greg, it was easier, he was genuinely happy after his first drink. But he still needed to be drunk before he did karaoke.

Greg wondered about this as they finally got into a cab and headed for the karaoke bar, “You seem really nervous, Lou, don’t you sing for a living?”

Louis giggled slightly, he really liked it when Greg called him Lou, “It’s different by myself, I’ve got so used to the boys being with me.”

“I’m sure you’re still going to be better than everyone else there.”

“There’s some who wouldn’t think that,” Louis mumbled.

“What? Greg asked, the alcohol making him loud, “What do you mean?”

“Tonnes of people think I can’t sing,” Louis said simply, like it was a fact everyone should know.

“They’re stupid,” Greg said immediately with a similar conviction, “Don’t think of them, think of all the people who have believed in you and who love your voice and who think you’re the hottest person on the planet and who think you’ve got a better-”

“Greg, step!” Louis laughed, his cheeks burning, “I get it, okay. I was just being drunk and stupid.”

The cab pulled over in front of the karaoke bar. Louis smiled at Greg, “Let’s do this yeah?”

They rushed inside, and Greg pulled Louis aside, “Let’s do a duet, yeah?”

Louis grinned, “Deffo! What did you have in mind?”

“It’s a surprise,” Greg winked, “but, can you promise me something?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Don’t take the piss.” Greg said, staring down into Louis’s eyes.

“What?”

“Don’t get embarrassed and cover it up by singing like an idiot,” Greg explained, “I’d really like to hear you sing properly.”

Louis dropped his gaze, he was almost too drunk to be having this sort of conversation, “I … I can do that.”

They could hear the sounds of something that sounded like it was trying to be Bon Jovi’s _Living on a Prayer_ coming from the main room. Greg found the worker in charge of the roster and put their names down for two songs. Louis was nowhere to be seen when he turned around, but Greg soon found him in a dark corner near the bar, two drinks in his hands. Louis held one out as Greg approached.

“Thanks,” Greg smiled, “We’ll be on in three songs.”

“That’s pretty quick,” Louis commented.

“Well when I told the girl our names, she seemed pretty keen to hear us.”

“Fame has its perks, I guess,” Louis said, taking a long sip of his drink.

The man singing ended, and there was a light smattering of applause. A woman got up and started singing _Someone Like You_. She started crying halfway through, which made Greg sure that he would not be the worst performance of the night. After the woman sobbed her way through the final chorus, another got up and did an alright rendition of _At Last_. Greg and Louis both genuinely clapped at the end of that one. Then a Japanese man sung something in Japanese, and Greg and Louis moved to the side of the stage.

“So are you going to tell me what we’re singing?” Louis asked, not really looking forward to the possibility of making a fool of himself.

“You know it, don’t worry,” Greg grinned, enjoying the expressions of annoyance that Louis’s face contorted into, “I’ll start it off even.”

Louis rolled his eyes, “Fine.” Then they were being called up onto the small stage. A few gasps of recognition sounded in the room as they stepped up, but they were soon covered by the piano intro of The Fray’s _How to Save a Life_.

Louis’s jaw hung open slightly. He had definitely not expected this. It would be almost romantic if it wasn’t Greg who had done it. Greg, who was winking at Louis and grinning, but whose hand was tightly gripping his microphone. Louis found himself hoping that the pick was a bit sentimental.

“ _Step one, you say we need to talk,”_  Greg sang shakily, because it was a bit nerve racking being up on a stage with all the lights on you, instead being in a dark studio thinking you were alone, “ _He walks, you say sit down it’s just a talk.”_

Greg looked back at Louis, holding his gaze for just a second. It was all he could stand. Louis’s eyes were shining, and there was just a hint of a smile on his lips. Greg tore his eyes away so that he would remember to sing.

“ _He smiles politely back at you, you stare politely right on through,”_ As Greg sang the next lines; Louis stepped up beside him, placing a comforting hand on his back. He jumped in for the next lines:

“ _Some sort of window to your right, as he goes left and you stay right. Between the lines of fear and blame, you begin to wonder why you came.”_

Louis kept his promise, and Greg was glad, he made the song incredible, until Greg joined in on the chorus.

“ _Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life.”_

They kept singing like that, trading lines in the verses, singing together in the chorus. Greg got more comfortable and they both moved around a bit, but somehow he could always feel Louis, close to him, touching him, his voice actually making Greg think his own sounded good. In the final chorus Louis flicked effortlessly into a higher harmony and Greg faltered for a second. Then he realised that he just had to keep doing what he’d done before. Louis beamed at him and Greg’s mind went into overdrive. He was actually making music, not just playing other people’s and trying to be a bit funny in between. Time seemed slow and fast and his brain was playing tricks on him. He knew he was concentrating on the notes, but he didn’t really feel himself singing them. Instead his own voice reached his ears from an outside source, and Greg really thought that it didn’t sound bad at all. And always Louis’s voice floated above his, perfectly light and enchanting.

“ _Had I known how to save a life.”_

Louis pulled on Greg’s arm as they sang the last line, so that they finished the song looking at each other. The crowd clapped loudly and Louis broke into a broad smile, his eyes crinkling.

“Thanks,” he mouthed to Greg.

Greg returned the smile, then turned back to the crowd. “You’re in for a treat tonight,” he told them, “Louis here’s a member of a little band you may have heard of, and he’s going to sing another song for you.”

“What?” Louis hissed.

Greg ignored him, “Here’s Louis Tomlinson with _We Found Love_.”

Greg jumped off the stage as Louis called out, “What? Greg, I can’t-”

“Please?” Greg asked. The music started, and how could Louis say no to those eyes?

_“Yellow diamonds in the light, now we’re standing side by side_

_As your shadow crosses mine, what it takes to come alive_

_It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny, but I gotta let it go_

_We found love in a hopeless place; we found love in a hopeless place.”_

It was only as he sang the first chorus that Louis realised that was basically all the song was, that one line repeated ad nauseam. This was fine if you were dancing to it in a club, but when you were trying to perform it, singing the same thing over and over got a little boring. He’d seen Rihanna perform it at the Brits, what had she done? Growled a bit and danced is all he could remember of the performance, but then he couldn’t really be trusted on that because his main memory of that night was giving Harry a blowjob once they’d got home.

Louis couldn’t really dance, so he’d have to try and make it interesting vocally. He jumped around during the dance break, because that’s what he always did when he needed to look like he was enjoying himself. Except this time, he actually was, because for some strange reason, Greg had wanted him to sing this song.

“ _Shine a light through an open door, love and light I will divide_

_Turn away cause I need you more, feel the heartbeat in my mind …”_

Greg was amazed as Louis sang and thanked whatever had inspired him to put Louis down for this song. He was suddenly hoping that there was a lot more of Louis on the new album, because he hadn’t known how much he really liked the younger man’s voice. It wasn’t the strongest going around, but there was something so vulnerable and endearing about it. Then as he came out of the bridge, Louis hit and held a note that was so pure that Greg was shocked again, not by the music but by how Louis _looked_. He fucking shone and the only adjective that Greg could think that even came close to describing him was beautiful. Greg had never thought of a guy as beautiful before, but Louis, with his brow creased and veins on his neck popping out as he threw himself into the performance, he was beautiful. And just when Greg thought Louis had nothing left up his sleeve, the singer flicked into his falsetto and sang the final chorus in the same octave as Rihanna. Greg was on his feet applauding before Louis had finished singing.

Louis blushed and smiled shyly, “It was good?”

“Fucking brilliant,” Greg said.

“Oh shit,” Louis said. Somehow, in the maybe ten minutes since they had stepped onto the stage, the bar had become significantly more occupied, and the patrons were now approaching the stage.

“Time to go,” Greg said. He reached out and grabbed Louis’s waist, easily slinging him over his shoulder because of the height of the stage.

“Greg! What are you doing?” Louis squealed, “Put me down.”

Greg laughed and made his way quickly to a back exit. Only once they were outside did he drop Louis onto his feet.

“We running?” Greg asked, holding out his hand.

“Deffo.” Louis grabbed the hand and they sprinted away from the karaoke bar, making their way through side streets and alleys, until they took a wrong turn and ended up in a dark dead end. Greg fell back into the wall and Louis fell onto him.

Louis slapped playfully at Greg’s arms and chest, “What the hell was that about? I could have been terrible.”

“You weren’t though,” Greg said quietly, “you were amazing.”

Louis blushed at the compliment and as he felt the heat rise in his cheeks he felt even more embarrassed. Louis Tomlinson never blushed. He pushed his forehead against Greg’s chest to hide his face “I’m so drunk,” he groaned.

Greg chuckled, “that’s your own fault.”

Louis laughed again, Greg did have a point. They were silent for a few moments, and Louis became aware of how close they were. It had been such a long time since he’d felt like this, carefree and happy; his skin bristling with energy that he didn’t have to fake. So long since he had been pressed against another body. He tugged at Greg’s shirt, “What were you going to say? Back in the cab, before I shut you up.”

“Err … I umm,” Greg really hoped that Louis couldn’t hear his heart pounding, and that Louis hadn’t noticed how his whole body shivered when they touched, “I was going to say that there’s a lot of people who think you’ve got a better bum than Beyoncé.”

And now Louis’s hands were _underneath_ his shirt and one part of Greg’s brain was telling him that Louis’s fingers were trailing along his stomach and heading down and that it felt bloody brilliant. Another part of his mind was freaking out about the fact that this was Louis Tomlinson who was touching him, and reminding Greg that Louis was male and that Greg wasn’t usually into guys touching him like that. Greg’s skin and the part of him that Louis seemed to be aiming for were screaming that this was exactly what he wanted, what he needed, that it explained perfectly why he hadn’t able to stop thinking of Louis for almost two weeks.

To cope with all this confusion, Greg’s mouth continued rambling, “But I don’t really think that. I mean, you’ve got a great bum, but Beyoncé invented bootylicious. She’s bloody fierce too, such a great performer. You’re amazing too, but there’s just something about her that-”

“Greg?” Louis said, finally looking up. His hands were resting lightly on the waistband of Greg’s trousers.

Greg gulped, “yeah?”

Louis winked, “Shut up.”

Louis sank smoothly onto his knees, unzipping Greg’s jeans as he moved. “O … ok.” Greg stuttered.

Louis tugged at Greg’s pants and his cock sprang free, already hardening. Louis gripped it and pumped slowly, his other hand squeezing Greg’s thigh. He grinned up at Greg, “big everywhere I see.”

Greg really should have been able to say something in reply to that, but witty replies were driven from his mind as Louis enveloped his cock. All other sensations, the wall scratching his back, the chill air, even Louis’s hand on his thigh, were dull and irrelevant compared to Louis’s lips and tongue and fingers on his dick. Louis wasted no time, taking as much of Greg as he could into his mouth. His hand moved languidly at the base of Greg’s cock, but his tongue was ferocious. Greg was trying to be quiet, clipping off the groans as they escaped his lips, but he swore as Louis moved his other hand to cup his balls.

Greg had thought that his days off being sucked off in dark alleyways were behind him. Not that he ever had been before, but he’d thought that was the sort of thing one did when they were young. He had been expecting that he would be settling down soon, maybe getting married. But with Louis blowing his mind and his dick, settling down, marriage, _girls_ , were the furthest thing from his mind. He wanted this, just this moment, forever. He could feel his orgasm building, his body tightening and his mind sparking. And Louis was still on him, still doing demonic things with his tongue, still moaning around Greg’s cock, swallowing his cum as it shot deep into his throat.

Slumping back against the wall, Greg felt his cock slip from Louis’s mouth. With shaking hands he pulled the boy back onto his feet, still unable to speak. Louis’s eyes were wide and glazed his breathing heavy. Greg brushed a hand against Louis’s cheek and he flinched away.

“Lou?” Greg breathed, but it was too late. Louis was turning, stumbling, and running from Greg’s sight, leaving the older man wondering what the hell had just happened.

 

**

 

Louis woke, sprawled across his bed covers, still in last night’s clothes, with three distinct memories. The first was singing, the rush of performance had printed itself onto his brain. Singing with Greg had been fun, like singing always used to be before it became his job. He still enjoyed performing, there was no other experience like doing a gig, but now he _had_ to be perfect and entertaining, and often Louis felt good about it only because he hadn’t stuffed up. Last night had been completely different, especially when he sang We Found Love. He’d taken risks when he was singing, they had paid off and it was exhilarating.

His second memory was of Greg’s cock in his mouth, and the ache in his jaw reminded him of that. Louis couldn’t remember the logic that had led to him sucking Greg’s cock, but he’d enjoyed that too. He’d forgotten how much he liked making someone else feel good.

His last memory was hearing Greg call out his name as he ran away. The older man’s pants had still been around his knees, so he couldn’t follow as Louis had fled, had run from the realisation of what he’d done. That he’d practically forced himself on Greg, who he was fairly sure was straight, and that for the first time in two or so years, he’d been with someone who wasn’t Harry.

Louis stumbled to the bathroom, splashing water on his face and taking stock of his faculties, it was a good thing he didn’t have to do anything today. As he changed into his favourite pair of sweats and his comfiest hoody, his phone fell out of his jeans pocket. He groaned, picked it up and moved himself to the couch as he slowly typed a message to Greg.

_I am so sorry about last night, my only excuse is that I was absolutely hammered. I don’t even remember why I did it, but I know it was way out of line. I completely understand if you never want to speak to me again, I’m so sorry._

His thumb hovered over the send button for a full minute before he decided there was nothing more he could say. Once the text was sent, Louis threw the phone to the other end of the couch, not wanting to be waiting for the reply he was sure wouldn’t come. He had completely fucked up any chance of a lasting friendship with Greg. A kiss they probably would have laughed over, even a casual grope wouldn’t have been too awkward. But he’d gone and given Greg a blowjob and then run away like some idiot.

He didn’t wallow in self-pity for long though, less than two minutes after he’d sent the text, his phone was lighting up with a reply.

_What’s your favourite hangover food?_

Louis’s brain was still muddled, and he was used to answering questions without really thinking, so he typed – _chips and gravy._

It was a simple answer, and given that Greg’s other reply had been so quick, Louis simply stared at his phone, waiting for it to light up again. Five minutes passed without him noticing. Then he started thinking about it, why had Greg responded like that, and why hadn’t he replied again? Had he not read Louis’s first text? Did he not remember what happened last night? Louis whimpered and slumped further onto the couch, staring numbly at the blank television.

He was snapped out of his reverie by the harsh buzz of his door bell. Groaning, Louis rolled himself off the couch and stumbled to the door, thankful that his visitor wasn’t impatient; he didn’t think his head could handle the bell clanging again.

Greg was standing outside his door, his lips raised in a slight smile. Louis’s eyes narrowed, unsure if he was hallucinating.

“Greg?” he asked tentatively, “Why are you … I can’t believe what I did last night.”

“We can talk about it in a bit, yeah?” Greg held up a plastic bag, “I brought food.”

The deeply satisfying and undeniably unhealthy smell of oil, salt, and gravy hit Louis and his hands reached instinctively for the bag. Greg smiled wider and handed it over; he’d already treated himself to a few restoratives in the short trip from the chip shop to Louis’s flat. Louis re-established himself on the couch, some colour returning to his face as he ate.

As Greg reached for a chip, he commented, “Maybe you should get Perrie over more often.”

The place was a mess, Louis knew that. He focused his eyes on the food, “sorry about that, I don’t really get many visitors.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Greg said, reaching out to take Louis’s hand over the chips, “took me years to get into a cleaning routine, and I wasn’t half as busy as you.”

“Thanks,” Louis mumbled, pulling his hand away under the pretence of reaching for more chips. He couldn’t understand why Greg was acting like nothing had happened last night.

“You should smile some more, Lou; no one’s died have they?” After a pause, Greg’s next words were mumbled, “Like thish shee.”

Louis glanced up, seeing that Greg was grinning, bits of half-chewed chips stuck in his teeth. Louis scoffed, but smiled in spite of himself, “And people say I’m immature.”

Greg swallowed his food before saying, “that’s more like it, you look much better when you smile, you know.”

Louis ducked his head again, grabbing another chip. He really had to get this blushing thing under control. But if he was blushing, did that mean that Greg was _flirting_ with him? It was what Louis had always done to Harry in the early days of their relationship, tease him a little and then give him a little compliment, to make him all embarrassed. But why would Greg be flirting with him, hadn’t Louis completely ruined everything?

Lost in his thoughts, Louis didn’t realise that they’d finished the chips until his fingers grazed against the paper. He rose silently and took it to the bin in the kitchen. When he returned, Greg had reclined into a corner of the couch, he obviously wasn’t going anywhere. Louis sat down and nervously said, “Greg, I … I’m really sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have …”

Louis trailed off because Greg was looking at him like he was completely out of his mind, which Louis was quite afraid of at the moment. But he had to finish this.

“I know you didn’t want it and I hope that if we have to work together in the future-”

“Louis, stop this craziness,” Greg implored, “if I had wanted you to stop, I would have stopped you.”

“Then why didn’t you stop me?”

“Because I didn’t want you to,” Greg repeated firmly.

“You … liked it?” Louis asked slowly.

Greg looked away, and Louis was pleased to see that he wasn’t the only one who could blush, “yeah, it was … great.”

Louis grinned, “Thanks, but I … I’m still sorry about … after.”

“That was a bit … confusing.”

“I just panicked, I think,” Louis admitted, as much to himself as Greg.

“But what about?” Greg asked softly.

“I … you were the first, after … after Harry.” Louis hesitated, still not sure himself why he had run, “and Harry was the first guy I ever seriously did anything with. He was the first _person_ I ever loved. It just sort of all hit me.”

“Oh. Do you ah … regret it then?”

“Only that I ran away,” Louis said weakly, meeting Greg’s eyes, “Do you?”

Greg took a deep breath before saying, “Only … only that you left.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s just that you looked so beautiful last night,” Louis’s eyes narrowed slightly and Greg realised he should be more specific, “when you were singing, I mean. Not that you didn’t look good when you were … you know, but … you were amazing on that stage Louis. And I … I just wanted to kiss you.”

“Oh,” Louis’s mouth gaped a little as he processed what Greg had said, that he wanted to kiss him.

“And everything was happening so fast after you finished singing, and I suppose that I was drunk too, and then you ran and I-”

Louis took hold of Greg’s wrist softly, silencing him. “Would you still like to kiss me?” He asked, leaning in just a fraction.

Greg nodded, leaning in as he breathed out a shaky, “yeah.”

Louis tugged lightly on Greg’s arm, bringing their faces within inches of each other. It was Greg who brought their lips together as their eyelids fluttered closed. A soft press, a breath, together again. Louis brought Greg’s hand up to his head, and Greg’s fingers curled into the hair at the back of his head. Louis opened his mouth slightly and Greg took full advantage, sucking Louis’s bottom lip between his own before pulling back. They stared into each other’s eyes, breathing heavily.

“Alright?” Louis asked.

“Yeah, it’s not really any different.”

“Well thanks, Greg.”

“Not any different than kissing anyone else that I’ve wanted to kiss!” Greg corrected, “It was nice. I was just expecting it to be different somehow, because you’re a guy.”

“Thanks for noticing,” Louis said sarcastically, “But I feel as though that wasn’t my best work and I should be given another chance.”

“Oh really?”

 “Yeah, because I really am very good.”

Greg pulled Louis back towards him, their lips meeting once more. Louis was more forceful, pushing Greg back into the couch, his tongue darting out to lick teasingly along Greg’s lips. Greg let Louis in, willing to be shown just how good Louis was. Greg ended up flat on his back, Louis straddling his waist. Their hands clenched in each other’s hair, and Louis’s hips were grinding slow circles on Greg’s stomach – and there was definitely something different about that.

Then Louis started laughing.

“What?” Greg asked, perplexed. He’d thought that kiss had been pretty good, “Why are you _laughing_?”

“It’s just,” Louis began before a fit of giggles took over, “If you were normal sized, I’d be rutting against your dick right now.”

“I can’t help that I’m tall,” Greg stammered, before Louis pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“Spread your legs a bit,” Louis commanded.

“What?” Because really, that was a little bit fast.

“Just do it.”

Greg complied, opening his legs as wide as the couch would allow. Louis repositioned himself so that his thigh was pressing against Greg’s crotch and gave an experimental grind. The whimper that Greg let out caused Louis to laugh again.

“Shut up,” Greg said, dragging Louis’s face back to his. The breaths soon turned to pants, and their hands began to roam the expanse of each other’s chests. Greg had, of course, been in a similar position many times before, but never with another guy. There was something undeniably hot about the fact that he could feel Louis against his side, even as his own dick was given glorious friction by Louis’s leg.

Then Greg’s leg vibrated and Louis started laughing again. Greg groaned.

“Just ignore it,” Louis said.

“I want to, believe me,” Greg said, giving Louis a peck, “but it’s an alarm reminding me to go to work.”

“So I guess you do have to go then?”

“Yeah,” Greg confirmed, “As much as I’d like to stay.”

Louis looked down at him for a while, “you could come back here afterwards.”

“Yeah?”

Louis shrugged, “If you want.”

“Course I want to.” Greg kissed Louis again, drawing their bodies back together. His hand reached down and cupped Louis’s arse, pushing Louis’s crotch hard into him. Louis gasped into their kiss.

Greg’s phone went off again and Louis rolled off of him onto the floor.

“Go,” he said, “I won’t have you getting into trouble just so you can keep snogging me.”

Greg brushed his lips against Louis’s one last time, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I’ll be listening.”

 

**

 

_“And in entertainment news, could a One Direction break-up be imminent after Louis Tomlinson has found a new singing partner in Radio 1’s very own Greg James?”_

In his flat, true to his word, Louis was listening to Greg’s show. He’d found the croakiness in Greg’s voice frankly adorable, and he laughed as he thought of what Greg would say in response to this ‘news’ item.

On the airwaves, Chris Smith continued. _“The pair were spotted in a popular karaoke venue in London and witnesses say the pair dueted on The Fray’s How To Save a Life, followed by Tomlinson’s solo rendition of Rihanna’s We Found Love. A video of the latter performance was posted on Youtube this morning, but no footage or audio of the James/Tomlinson duet has surfaced.”_

Louis thought it was strange that nobody had contacted him about the video, but then again, he could have easily missed a phone call while Greg was over.

On the radio, the ‘Chris Smith with the news’ theme played and Greg came back on.

_“Chris Smith, did I just make the entertainment news?”_

_“You certainly did, even got referred to by your last name only, Greg. I know you’ve always wanted that.”_

_Greg laughed, “I have, that’s true. Is there really a video?”_

_“Search ‘Louis Tomlinson We Found Love’ and it’s the top result. Can I take this as an official confirmation?”_

_“Yeah yeah, Louis and I went and did karaoke last night – all the details were right, no need for a ‘beg pardon’. Apart from the fact that obviously One Direction are not breaking up.”_

_“Is there a video of your duet?”_

_“I hope not, no one needs to hear me sing. But you should all check out Louis’s We Found Love, the lad’s got a set of pipes on him. I’m quite looking forward to hearing One Direction’s new album now actually.”_

_“Greg, I do believe you’ve become a fan girl.”_

_“May as well embrace it. I know it’s Friday and I’m meant to be playing dance anthems and all that, but here’s Live While We’re Young._

Louis muted the radio; he didn’t need to listen to his own song.

 

**

 

The second Greg was through the door, Louis was pushing him back against it. He had to rise up on his toes and pull Greg’s neck down to actually kiss him, but it was worth it for the way that Greg gasped as Louis’s lips hit halfway through his ‘hello’. Louis couldn’t hold the position for long though; he reluctantly broke away, flashing a sheepish smile up at Greg.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Greg repeated, his voice low. His arm snaked around Louis’s waist, pulling them back together. Louis was still on his toes, but he could feel Greg’s arm holding him up. He made a mental note to let Greg control the kissing from now on, at least when they were standing.

Louis pulled away again, taking a step back from Greg. He grabbed one of Greg’s hands, entwining their fingers, “bedroom?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Greg breathed, “okay, yeah.”

Louis led Greg into his bedroom, nudging him to sit down. Greg complied, looking at Louis slightly bewildered. Louis settled himself on Greg’s lap, his thighs hugging Greg’s waist. Their faces were much more level now, and Louis took full advantage, peppering Greg’s neck and jaw with light kisses before he reached his lips. Louis buried his hands in Greg’s hair, pulling his head back even as he sucked Greg’s bottom lip into his mouth. Greg pushed at Louis’s back, raising the younger man’s face above his own. Louis smiled against Greg’s lips before both of their mouths opened and their tongues began a play fight for dominance. As the kiss deepened, Louis rolled his hips down into Greg’s, eliciting a moan from the older man. He kept at it, his hands pulling lightly at Greg’s hair while Greg’s slipped beneath Louis’s t-shirt to grasp his hips.

The said t-shirt was soon thrown from the bed, and Louis’s deft fingers made quick work of the buttons of Greg’s shirt. Once it too was disposed of, Louis pulled Greg back to him, teasing Greg’s nipples with his fingertips. It was now Greg controlling Louis’s hips, grinding them down into his own in a much less fluid motion that Louis’s had been. The harsh movements caused Louis to moan, and Greg used the natural break in the kiss to pull Louis up again. His hands cupped Louis’s arse, his lips ghosting over Louis’s neck before sucking a mark above Louis’s collarbone. As Louis felt his skin being pulled between Greg’s teeth, he gasped out and pushed his crotch into Greg’s stomach.

“Good as this feels,” he said, “I don’t really wanna cum in my pants like a horny 15 year old.”

Greg’s lips left Louis’s skin with a pop, his hands grabbing Louis shoulders. Dragging them around and down, Greg pinned Louis to the bed beneath him. He kissed Louis hard, then pulled away and asked, “Am I that good?

Breathless from the kiss, Louis nodded.

Greg’s eyes raked down Louis’s body, taking in his kiss-plump lips and the slight flush that extended down his neck. He admired the way Louis’s chest rose as he breathed in, and the way his stomach quivered a little as he breathed out. And he also noticed the prominent bulge in the front of his trousers.

“So you don’t want me to do this?” Greg asked as he placed his palm over the hard flesh. Louis let out a shaky sigh at the pressure, but said nothing, wanting to see what Greg would do of his own volition.

It appeared that Greg was also curious. He undid Louis’s trousers and slipped a hand into his underwear, taking his cock in a light grip, “Better?”

Louis laughed once, “yeah.”

Greg stroked Louis slowly, discovering that it was actually quite awkward to move his hand between their bodies, especially when his movements were still restricted by Louis’s pants. But he was obviously doing alright; Louis’s head had flopped back onto the bed, his eyes closed and his mouth slack. Greg pushed Louis’s pants down to his knees and moved his hand away to appreciate the sight of Louis fully exposed.

“You really are beautiful,” he said as his gaze roamed up Louis’s body once more.

Louis’s eyes fluttered open, “Did you just call my dick _pretty_?”

Greg tried to laugh it off, “I guess I did yeah.”

Louis laughed and pulled Greg into a sweet kiss. Greg took his dick hard and gave a few brisk pumps to turn the laughing into a groan.

Louis gently stroked Greg’s face, “This is so much better, but what I meant before is that I’d really like you to fuck me.”

Greg’s hand stopped moving and his face froze for a second in a silent ‘oh’. He hadn’t had time to think since Louis had pushed him back against the door. Everything was new and just a little bit different and it all felt so good, he’d just gone with the flow. “I’ve never done that before.”

Louis paused for a moment before saying, “That’s fine. We don’t have to … just move your hand again, yeah?”

Greg complied, moving his hand slower than before. It was bloody great, the feeling of Louis in his hand, hot and hard, such an embodiment of sex. Now that he could catch his breath for a moment and think, all Greg could imagine was how Louis would look as Greg thrust into him. Would that flush that was creeping down his neck spread across his chest? Would the sweat just beading on his forehead break out over his whole body? And God, what sounds would he make?

“I think I’d like to though.”

Louis smiled and pulled Greg into another short kiss before he rolled off the bed.

“I think you should get naked,” Louis commented as he rummaged in a drawer.

Greg hastily rid himself of his pants, then sat back on the bed, wondering why he felt so awkward. Louis returned, kissing him passionately and pushing him up the bed so he was lying on it properly. He broke the kiss and waved the lube in front of Greg’s face, “Do I have to ah … talk you through this?”

“Ahh … I think I’ve got the basics,” Greg answered, “”I’ve sat through enough of Grimmy’s sex stories.”

“Ew.” Louis said jokingly, giving Greg a quick peck. “That’s good though. It’s sort of been a while for me, so go slow yeah?”

With that, Louis turned around, settling his knees on either side of Greg’s chest. Greg barely had time to register the change in position before Louis’s hand was wrapping around the base of his cock, his breath ghosting across it. As Louis took the tip into his mouth Greg placed his hands on Louis’s calves. Louis’s tongue swirled around Greg’s cock, and Greg’s hands rubbed up and down Louis’s legs.

Louis took his mouth off Greg’s cock, “are you going to do anything?”

“Just admiring the view,” Greg said.

Louis raised an eyebrow at him then turned back, exaggerating the movement of his hips as he took Greg in his mouth again. Greg’s hands moved to Louis’s bum, his palms kneading and spreading his cheeks. He reached for the lube and placed a generous amount on his fingers, placing them at Louis entrance. As he pushed his middle finger inside Louis, the younger man moaned, pulling off Greg’s cock.

“Yeah, just like that.”

Greg pushed in further, crooking his finger as he did so. Louis groaned, pulling off Greg’s cock again, “how’d you know to do that?”

Greg pressed in again, “that’s good is it?”

Louis’s answer was to arch his back and move his hips back further on Greg’s finger. With his free hand, Greg pushed Louis hand back down. Louis allowed himself to be moved, murmuring, “more,” before hallowing his cheeks to take all of Greg’s cock in his mouth. He held him in his throat until he felt Greg place a second finger at his entrance. Louis moved his mouth up and down Greg’s cock, sucking hard at the head each time. Meanwhile, Greg added his second finger, scissoring them and curling them occasionally because he really liked how Louis reacted when he hit the right spot. Greg’s own moans joined Louis’s muffled ones, and even though he knew that he would cringe later at the cliché, he couldn’t help muttering, “you’re so tight.”

Louis couldn’t wait any longer, his mouth left Greg’s dick with a slick pop and he reached for the condom. Greg took the hint and let his fingers slip out of Louis. Turning back to face Greg, Louis guided his hand to hold his dick. He pulled Greg’s knees up, gripping his thighs as he hovered over him. Then he lowered himself.

“Fuck,” Greg breathed as Louis sunk onto him.

“I know,” Louis replied, a breathy laugh following as his bum came flush with Greg’s hips. He stayed still for a moment, his hands clutching tight at Greg’s chest. Then he slowly moved on top of him, still adjusting. Greg’s hands rested lightly on Louis’s hips, growing tighter as Louis’s gyrations lengthened and got faster.

“You feel so good, Lou.”

Louis was practically bouncing on Greg now, and Greg had started thrusting up into him. His nails scratched over Greg’s chest, and Greg’s own were digging crescents into the skin of Louis’s thighs. Louis slowed again, his head tipping back. Greg pulled him down by the neck, crashing their lips together, his back bending as he thrust up into Louis. The younger man pulled back, forcing himself down on Greg again. But Greg followed him, sitting up so that Louis was properly in his lap. His arms wrapped around Louis, pushing him down by the shoulders. Louis had one hand in Greg’s hair, the other moving between them on his dick. His legs were tight around Greg’s waist.

They were too far gone to kiss properly now, their mouths meeting open as they gasped and moaned. Louis’s hand tightened in Greg’s hair even as Greg’s palms spread across Louis’s back. Louis came first, rising up high as the first wave of his orgasm hit him. He slammed back down, clenching tight around Greg, who tipped over the edge and bit into Louis’s shoulder. They shuddered against each other, then fell to the bed as Greg flopped back. Their foreheads pressed together and Louis kissed Greg lightly, almost teasingly.

“Not bad for your first time,” he said.

“Good enough to get a second try?”

“Definitely,” Louis grinned, kissing Greg once more as he slipped off him and cuddled up to his side. His last waking thought was that Greg’s chest was much more comfortable than his pillow.

 

**

 

The following Monday was Louis’s charity football game. He drove up to Doncaster on the Sunday afternoon, having spent all of Saturday and Sunday morning with Greg. As he drove through the familiar streets of his childhood, he realised that he would never again live in Doncaster. It was his hometown and would hold a place in his heart, and he would, as he did now, always think of Doncaster with a nostalgic fondness, but he couldn’t see himself ever returning there for good. London was home now, even though he’d be spending at least a third of the next year in other cities, and still had mixed feelings about his new flat. London, with its sprawl and its craziness and the people in it, was where he belonged now. But his family was here, and in their presence Louis could forget his worries. And the only problem with his childhood bed was that unlike the last two nights, he wasn’t sharing it with someone.

 

Louis was not expecting Harry to arrive at his house early the next morning. He’d invited them all, but after his outburst at the Teen Awards, he really hadn’t thought Harry would come.

Louis had just woken up when his mum knocked on his door, Harry behind her. She quickly made herself scarce.

“Can we talk?” Harry asked.

“Yeah,” Louis gestured around him, “have a seat.”

Harry did so, sinking onto the edge of the bed, “I am sorry that I didn’t tell you about me and Nick, I didn’t think about how that might be difficult for you.”

“Harry, I overreacted. I had too much adrenaline in my system from the show and I wasn’t thinking. I was jealous too, I guess,” Louis admitted, “I didn’t think you’d move on so quickly.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Harry said, “when we first broke up I thought I’d never get over you. But Nick was there and he made me happy and-”

“Harry, you don’t have to explain yourself, I know that I don’t have a claim on you anymore.”

“Can we be friends again, Lou? It _was_ one of the reasons we broke up, to save our friendship.”

“I’d like that Harry. Except,” Louis suggested, “let’s not be the type of friends who share all the details of their sex lives, because I don’t think I could handle that yet.”

“I don’t think I want to tell you,” Harry laughed.

“Ew,” Louis said, nudging Harry with his foot.

“Friends?” Harry asked, holding out his hand for Louis to shake.

Louis knocked it aside and pulled Harry into a hug. “Friends,” he confirmed.

Louis didn’t want to admit it, but the lifting of the tension between him and Harry allowed him to enjoy the game that much more. And how could he stay mad at Harry, when he had his own radio host to sleep with? Especially one who gave his first ever blowjob to the captain of the football team when he got home.

 

**

 

Over the next few weeks, Louis came to like his new flat a lot more, seeing it in a different light and collecting good memories with the bad. Instead of only seeing the wall he’d punched when he’d come home from recording and found no one to vent to, he saw the wall that Greg had fucked him against. He’d held Louis up the whole time, which was something Harry had never managed to do. Instead of his bed feeling too big and empty, Louis discovered that it was the perfect size for him and a very tall radio host. And instead of the mess which revealed his failures as an adult, he saw the leftovers from a movie night with Greg. They’d watched their favourite movies – Grease and Goldfinger – and eaten pizza and popcorn. Louis had almost fallen asleep on Greg’s chest, but the older man had blown a raspberry against his neck, igniting a war which had naturally ended in the bedroom.

It probably helped that he was busy too, not having the time to wallow in the self-pity he’d been falling into before Greg. The band was jetting across Europe and America, doing promos and interviews and album launches and award shows. And this was the calm before the storm that was to be the tour, with its rehearsals and shows and more interviews and visits from family. Louis relished the time he spent with Greg, when he could just let go and laugh. Plus, the sex was great.

 

Greg came home one day to find Louis in his kitchen, wearing one of his jumpers. The sleeves were rolled up, but the hem extended halfway down his thighs.

“You look ridiculous,” he chuckled.

Louis turned from where he’d been fussing with the oven, “Hello to you to Greg. I’ve had a great week, thanks for asking.”

“I’m sorry,” Greg said, wrapping his arms around Louis’s waist, pulling him in for a quick kiss, “why are you wearing my clothes though?”

Louis rolled his eyes like that was a stupid question, “It wasn’t cold when I came over, and I couldn’t work out how to turn on your heat.”

“Well, you look cute,” Louis’s face softened as Greg sniffed the air, “are you cooking?”

“If you’d come home about five minutes later I would’ve said yes,” Louis laughed, “I got take away and heated it up.”

As they served up the food, Greg asked, “Did you have a good time in … wherever you were?”

Louis’s eyes narrowed, his voice appalled, “you forgot where I was.”

“It’s hard to keep track okay! I still want to know if you enjoyed yourself.”

“You had The Wanted on and you forgot all about me didn’t you?” Louis took an angry bite of his curry.

“No! They were nowhere near as entertaining as you,” Greg insisted, “okay okay, this week I watched videos of you on … Ellen! You were in America!”

“Yep,” Louis confirmed, “It was fun. You watched videos of us?”

Greg ducked his head, “yeah, wanted to know what you were up to.”

“Who’s the cute one now?” Without missing a beat, Louis continued, “So why was a pair of my pants in your wardrobe?”

“Oh umm … well I was filming a parody of that Bieber video here,” Greg explained, “and I saw them underneath the couch, where obviously they’d fallen when you were over last.”

“That was a good night,” Louis interrupted.

“Yeah it was,” Greg agreed, “Anyway, I had to hide them because they obviously weren’t mine and you know how internet people can get. And my workmates actually, they’re very gossipy.”

“Well you do all talk for a living.”

“Yeah. Why were you in my wardrobe anyway?” Greg asked, picking up the finished plates and taking them back into the kitchen.

“Getting this, silly,” Louis said brightly, bounding into the kitchen, waving the arms of the jumper about, “I am glad that you weren’t like saving them or something.”

“Saving them? What are you on about?”

“Well I saw another pair of pants while I was in there,” Louis said innocently, “only they were more what you’d call … hot pants. Gold, looked very small. Thought maybe you collected the underwear of your conquests or something weird.”

“Umm … no, they’re … mine,” Greg flustered as Louis bit his lip to keep from laughing, “Well they’re not … but they are. I don’t wear them or anything. I did a Beyoncé parody once.”

“I know,” Louis grinned, “I’ve seen it. I just wanted to see what you’d say.”

“You’re evil.”

“I was cute before,” Louis said, letting the sleeves of the jumper slip over his hands and flapping them about. The bits of cloth lightly hit Greg’s chest as Louis stepped up to him, “I’m a handsome villain at least, right?”

“Nope,” Greg said, tilting his head up so that there was no way Louis could kiss him, even on the very tips of his toes. Because kissing would be distracting. “You’re just plain evil.”

Louis pouted, which Greg didn’t see because his gaze was fixed firmly on the ceiling. He then tried to reach Greg’s mouth, because he knew how distracting kissing could be. He only reached Greg’s throat, which was nice to kiss, but wasn’t what he was aiming for.

“You asked for it James.”

Greg had been prepared for whining, prepared for the kisses which Louis had indeed quickly pressed against his throat. Hell, he’d have been willing to let Louis unzip his pants and get on his knees right there in the kitchen to apologize for his deception. What he hadn’t been prepared for was tickling. Louis’s fingers darting across his chest, burrowing into his armpits. He cried out, slapping Louis’s hands away and glaring down at him.

“Ha! Got you to look at me again!” Louis cried in triumph, “I’m cute right?”

“Adorable,” Greg said begrudgingly, “you’re still doing the dishes though.”

He quickly left the kitchen, ignoring Louis’s mumble (and additional lie) of, “what if I don’t know how?” because Greg was fairly sure that Louis did know how to do dishes, he just chose not to most of the time. And he was right, because when Greg returned to the kitchen, the dishes had been done and Louis was reaching high for the chocolate in the pantry.

“Need some help?” Greg murmured, pressing himself against Louis’s back.

Louis gasped as he turned around, seeing that Greg was now wearing nothing but the gold pants Louis had found earlier. His fingers traced lightly down Greg’s long chest, resting on his hips.

“Like what you see?” Greg asked with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.

“I do …  yeah.” Louis said distractedly, “Turn around?”

Greg stepped back and held his arms up, turning slowly all the way around. Louis’s eyes didn’t leave his body for a second.

“Well Greg,” he said, “You’re no Beyoncé, but you do have a rather nice bum.”

“Shut up,” Greg laughed as he moved back to Louis and took his face between his hands. As they kissed Louis’s hands trailed down Greg’s back, slipping beneath the gold underwear and squeezing his bum.

Greg groaned, “Do you think we could … switch it up?”

Louis’s hands remained on Greg’s bum, “you sure?”

Greg nodded fiercely. Louis hands slipped out of the pants, “Go on then.”

As Greg started towards the bedroom, Louis gave him a light smack on the arse. He yelped and made to take off the pants.

“Leave them on,” Louis commanded.

Greg did, but when they got to the bedroom he stood by the door, awkward again.

“I think you better get on the bed,” Louis suggested. Greg climbed on, and Louis knelt behind him, running his hand across the plane of Greg’s back and across the fabric stretched tight across his bum, “Christ, you’re so bloody tall.”

“Never had complaints before,” Greg commented, “least of all from you.”

“Makes this a bit difficult though,” Louis said, pulling Greg’s hips down. It was then he realised how much Greg was trusting him with this. There was no doubt at all that if Greg didn’t want this, he could overpower Louis, turn them over or whatever. But he was giving Louis this, and Louis was going to make damn sure he enjoyed it.

Louis leant down and kissed at the faint V-line at the bottom of Greg’s back, pushing the pants over the curve of arse. He reached around to cup Greg’s dick with one hand, squeezing lightly and finding that he was already getting hard. Holding Greg’s cheeks apart with his other hand, Louis continued to move his lips down, into the crease of Greg’s arse. He could feel Greg shivering as he got closer to his hole, and heard the sharp intake of air as he ran his tongue flat across it. But that was all for the moment, Louis chose instead to move his palm over Greg’s dick. Soon Greg was arching his back, and Louis asked, “Did you want something?”

“Your tongue,” Greg grunted, “Do that _again_.”

Louis chuckled, kissing Greg’s arse again. This time he kept at it, his tongue darting out and swirling around, licking pointedly across Greg’s hole. Every time Louis went a little further, he was rewarded with a new moan from Greg, and he couldn’t long resist darting his tongue inside, feeling Greg push back against him. Soon Greg was pushing Louis’s hand off his dick, and pushing the pants further down his thighs as he stroked himself.

“Stop,” Louis said, pulling back and grabbing Greg’s wrist, “you’ll come too soon.”

“I think I’ve been having sex long enough to have a bit of stamina,” Greg complained over his shoulder.

“Not like this you haven’t.”

Greg dropped his hand. Louis took the opportunity to get some lube, and shed his own clothes. As he knelt behind Greg again, he trailed his fingers across his entrance. Greg shivered again, stopping only as Louis pushed in one slick finger. Louis went slowly now, feeling and seeing how Greg’s whole body would tense, only to relax a little more the next moment.

“Still alright?”                                                                                                      

“Yeah,” Greg breathed, “keep going.”

Louis did, pushing in a second finger and then a third before he thought Greg was enjoying it enough to take him. He checked one last time with his cock pressed against Greg’s arse, and Greg’s answer was to grind back on it. Louis pushed in slowly, despite his overwhelming desire to be fast and hard. But Greg was soon asking for more, and Louis lost the ability to be properly gentle. He reached for Greg’s cock as he picked up his pace, pumping it back to full hardness. Greg had lost control of his voice, with each thrust Louis was forcing a grunt or groan from him, and then he’d get the angle right and Greg would curse. He was quivering underneath Louis, and his orgasm hit suddenly, his elbows collapsing as Louis fucked him through it, coming himself soon after.

Greg winced as Louis pulled out, his knees buckling as well. Louis pushed at him until he lay the right way on the bed, wrapping his arms and legs around him as best he could.

He pressed a light kiss to Greg’s temple, “Did you like it?”

“Yeah,” Greg whispered, his voice wrecked, “Might need a bit more practice before I really get into it though.”

“I’m happy to help with that.”

 

**

 

Life refused to slow down. Louis couldn’t spend long days doing nothing with Greg, mapping out each other’s bodies and learning each other’s minds. They both had work and Louis’s especially took him away. He found that he was once again living a double life, although it was more like a quintuple. There was the Louis he was with Greg, who he thought might be the most basic, stripped back form. Then there was Louis with just his family, or the boys, who were like family now. There was Louis on stage and in interviews, and his public image, the Louis who was fodder for the paparazzi. He didn’t know when he had started to compartmentalise his life like this, but he knew that he didn’t particularly want to face the hassle of re-joining them. Louis Tomlinson, member of One Direction, international superstar, had achieved more than Louis from Doncaster could have dreamed of. His contrived public image helped him achieve it. And Greg, he realised, was an escape from all that, but something had to give.

He _was_ happy. Happier and luckier than he thought possible, but there was always a price. Thankfully for Louis, it was someone else’s sadness that first made him realise that.

After their show at Maddison Square Garden, the band was understandably buzzed. But Harry went missing, and it was Louis who found him in a corridor far from their dressing room, just as Harry was finishing a phone call.

“Have a good show,” Harry mumbled, “Love you.”

Louis hung back, not wanting Harry to know he’d heard. When he bounded round about half a minute later, Harry was slumped in a corner, staring at his phone in his lap.

“Hey,” Harry said, flashing a smile. But Louis knew him well enough to be able to tell the difference between real and fake.

“It’s about half 5 back home, yeah?” he asked, pointing to Harry’s phone.

“Yeah,” Harry confirmed, “Nick was just heading to work.”

Louis sat down beside Harry, “you love him, don’t you?”

Harry didn’t respond, but again, experience meant that Louis knew he was just thinking.

“I thought it would be easier when it wasn’t you,” Harry eventually said, “but they’re still there - all those stupid reasons to hide, and all the rumours about me and the assumptions and the pressure. I just miss him. At least with you we were almost always together. I can’t exactly fly Nick out here, can I?”

“No,” Louis agreed, “makes you feel bad for what Zayn and Liam have had to deal with all this time.”

“Yeah.”

“Is it worth it though, Harry?”

“I think so. I do love him,” Harry admitted.

“Then I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks Lou.” Harry frowned, “Can I ask you something?”

“’Course.”

“Have you … got someone? It’s just … you’ve been happier this past month, and Zayn said your place was clean.”

Louis laughed. His flat was clean because he’d hired someone to clean it. “I do have someone, but it’s not that serious yet. We’ve just been hanging out really.”

“Is it Greg James?”

“How the hell did you know that?”

“You listen to him whenever you can,” Harry explained, “and you smile at it like an absolute idiot.”

“Like how I used to look at you?” Louis asked. He hadn’t realised he’d been so obvious.

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, “and Nick said that Greg had been really weird about listening to us and stuff. So you are with him?”

“Yeah, we’ve never really talked about it though. Just sort of …”

“Fucked a lot?” Harry suggested, “I _can_ handle you being with someone else Lou.”

“Well yeah, we have,” Louis admitted, “but not just that. I mean, we haven’t gone on a proper date or anything, but it’s not just sex.”

“Sounds like you need to have the talk.”

Louis hummed his agreement, though he was particularly enthusiastic about the prospect.

“Look at us,” Harry said, ‘talking about our new boyfriends.”

Louis laughed again, “I’m glad we’re friends again, Haz. I guess I sort of missed you.”

Harry smiled for real this time, just as Niall came round the corner, “alright lads? Must say it’s nice to not find you both naked.”

“Probably won’t happen again, Nialler,” Harry said, “we were just discussing our new men.”

“Who’re you boning?” Niall asked Louis.

“None of your business,” Louis said, turning on his heel and walking away.

Niall protested that it most certainly was, but shut up once Harry promised to tell him later. So they’d all know by the end of the night, and Greg’s Louis would merge with the boys’ Louis. The only problem with that was that Louis was unsure how much he wanted to be Greg’s.

 

**

 

Greg could tell that Nick was missing Harry. All month long he had been having crazy mood swings, his lows coinciding with the times when One Direction wasn’t in the country. Which, of course, Greg was aware of because when Nick got sad, Greg got horny. He wondered if Nick’s moods were something he had to look forward to if he and Louis kept at this thing they had going on. Greg liked Louis, Louis made him laugh and made him nervous in the best possible way only to reassure him and Greg knew that there was so much more he had to learn about the young singer. There was a huge part of him that wanted to just find out everything there was to know about Louis, to sit and talk for a day or five or a hundred, however long it took to share their opinions on everything. He thought that having a silly argument with Louis over favourite ice cream flavours or the best way to mix a drink might be quite fun, and not just because they would end it with sex. Greg was absolutely loving that, and wondering why he’d never tried it before, never gone beyond kisses for dares (including that one from Russel Kane) and one extremely drunken pash in uni. Probably because he’d never thought he’d be in a relationship with a guy, if that’s what this thing with Louis was.

That question would have to be examined another time though, because cheering Nick up was proving difficult. There’d been a breakthrough with the Bieber parodies, which had brightened his mood until the boys returned. But then they left again, and Greg was at a loss, not even his exaggerated Christmas cheer had got a reaction from Nick. After presenting much evidence to Fearne – who hadn’t known what Greg was on about at first, because Nick was still fine on air – she had suggested they take him to lunch, which , despite Greg’s misgivings, actually turned out alright.

It was, as it turned out, Fearne’s baby who pulled Nick out of his funk. In the middle of lunch, she suddenly made a noise, grabbed one of Greg’s and Nick’s hands, and brought them to her stomach. Greg grinned as he felt the baby moving under his hand, and he glanced over to see Nick just as awed.

“You’ve got an actual tiny human being inside you, Fearne,” He said. It was the happiest Greg had seen him in days.

“Yep,” she replied, “and it – oof – won’t stop moving.”

As they returned to their meal, Nick said, “I was talking about kids with a friend the other day actually.”

Greg’s ears pricked up at that, Nick’s ‘friend’ was generally Harry.

“I’d never really thought about having them,” Nick continued, “but now I’m not as sure. It’s all exciting isn’t it, Fearne?”

“It is,” she agreed, “but I’m scared out of my mind as well.”

“I live off fear,” Nick said dryly.

Greg and Fearne laughed, and Greg was glad – that was certainly a very Grimmy statement. Then Fearne turned to Greg, “What about you?” she asked, “Feeling clucky?”

“I think I’m like Grimmy, I’ve never really thought about it.”

“But you’re great with kids,” Nick said, “I’d have thought you’d have names picked out and everything.”

“I like my nieces and nephews yeah,” Greg said, “but having kids is something I’ve been trying very hard to avoid for a long time. Besides, I’m still young, there’s plenty of time. For you too Grimmy.”

Nick frowned, “It won’t be the easiest thing for me though.”

“Nick I’m sure you could count on any of your friends to help you out,” Fearne reassured him, “and there’s always adoption.”

Greg felt suddenly like an imbecile, he hadn’t even considered that kids weren’t a natural consequence of the kind of sex Nick was having. And that Greg himself was having at the moment.

“Yeah,” Nick answered Fearne, “as long as Brangelina hasn’t adopted the rest of the world by the time I am ready.”

So Nick was feeling better, and Greg had added one more question to his growing list of Louis related things he had to confront.

 

**

 

Greg was surprised by the knock on his door, but he knew it could only be one person. He was smiling even before he opened the door, saying fondly, “Louis.”

Louis returned the smile, “Hey Greg.”

“Why have you got a massive stuffed lion?” Greg asked as he let Louis through.

Louis placed the toy on the ground, “I came straight from the airport, I hope that’s alright.”

“Of course it’s alright,” Greg said, pulling Louis into a hug, “I’m always happy to see you.”

Before Louis could answer, Greg leant down and kissed him. It was soft, with no intention other than hello, and for no reason other than because he could.

As they pulled apart a little, Louis whispered, “I like seeing you too.”

Greg smiled again and asked, “So what was it like, Maddison Square Garden?”

“It was … incredible, I still can’t believe that’s my job,” as he spoke, Louis noticed the full rucksack by the couch, “or that you’re going to Afghanistan.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow actually.”

Louis pulled away from Greg, “I should go then, let you get some sleep.”

“No,” Greg insisted, grabbing hold of Louis’s arm, “I can sleep on the plane.”

Greg kissed Louis again, but the younger man didn’t let it linger, “If you’re sure.”

“I am,” Greg said, “spending the night with you is worth a bit of sleep deprivation.”

Another kiss to cover Louis’s response, and then Greg pulled back and suggested, “Sex first, then we can catch up?”

Louis scoffed, “how could I say no?”

It stayed like their kisses, soft and without urgency. There was no need to rip clothes away, they fell when they needed to, gradually revealing new skin to be kissed and touched and cherished. They knew each other now, were familiar with their bodies, and the sex was all the better for it. Greg knew now what Louis wanted, how fast he could go, when he was ready. Louis, with a slight push, could have Greg on his back, his legs at the perfect angle for Louis to grip as he sank down. He knew just how to move on Greg and the right way to pull on his arm so that Greg would prop himself on his elbows to kiss Louis. There was no need for words, theirs was a conversation of looks and touches, and an anticipation of what the other wanted. Yet it held its own desperation as they tried to physically express what they needed to say.

They lay side by side for minutes afterwards, catching their breath. Louis moved first, rolling off the bed and getting halfway to the door before turning back to Greg.

“I was going to have a shower,” he said softly, “Did you wanna come?”

“Nah,” Greg yawned, his eyes slipping closed, “I think you got most of the mess anyway.”

Louis narrowed his eyes at an oblivious Greg, but looking at his chest, he couldn’t really argue. He took his time in the shower, the water seeming to bring all the questions he had to the front of his mind. He noticed that the towel he’d had to ask for the first couple of times now hung ready next to Greg’s, did that mean something?

When Louis returned to the bedroom, Greg appeared to be asleep, the sheets pulled across his waist, one of his arms flung across the other side of the bed. But as Louis climbed in next to Greg, laying his head on his chest, the arm curled up and carded through his hair.

A deep hum resounded in Greg’s chest, “your hair’s always so fluffy after you wash it.”

“Conditioner,” Louis mumbled, letting Greg scratch lightly at his scalp for a while longer. He didn’t want to speak next and ruin this feeling, but once it became clear that Greg was perfectly content to stay like this until they fell asleep, Louis spoke up. “Greg, I know this is probably the worst possible time, but I think we need to talk … about us.”

Greg’s fingers stopped, “You’re right, we do, and there’s no time like the present.”

Louis sat up and Greg followed suit.

“What did you want to talk about?” Greg asked.

“Are we dating?” Louis said bluntly, deciding it was best not to beat around the bush.

“I suppose so, in a way.” Greg frowned, “Do you not want to be?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be, it’s just that …” Louis paused, “I don’t know if I could really date anyone at the moment, not properly.”

“Yeah, I understand that, you’re away a lot.”

“Yeah,” Louis agreed, “and I don’t know if I’m ready to be serious and commit to the loneliness and the missing you and everything.”

“I must admit, watching Grimmy these past few weeks has been pretty scary. Shit, I shouldn’t bring him up.”

“It’s fine,” Louis said, “It was actually Harry who got me thinking about all this, he was missing Nick so much last week. But you and me has nothing to do with him.”

“Not even a little bit?” In the back of his mind Greg had started to worry that he was maybe just a rebound.

“No,” Louis took Greg hand to reassure him, “he just made me realise that if we are dating, then crazy timed phone calls are something we have to look forward to. I’ll be away for like half of next year.”

Greg thought on that for a moment, “If we were to keep at this, would it be a public thing?”

Louis’s face dropped, “I don’t know. Not for a while probably.”

“So we’d pretty much continue we have been? Staying at each other’s flats when we can, ordering in, fucking – which is great by the way – and crazily stalking each other on the internet so we know what’s going on with each other?”

Louis nodded slowly, “I don’t think I can offer anything more right now.”

“Do you want kids Louis?”

Louis pulled back slightly in surprise, “Yeah … but way in the future. Do you?”

“Yeah, I do,” Greg answered, “I’ve only just realised it, but I really do.”

“When?”

“Soon I suppose,” Greg said, “Not tomorrow or anything, but I’d like to think that within the next five years I’d definitely be married and have a kid.”

“In five years I’ll be 26,” Louis whispered.

“A great age,” Greg joked, “and a great five ages before it.”

“I don’t think I want to be a dad in five years.”

“No, you’ve got a crazy life at the moment Louis; I think you’ll want a little break or something.” Greg squeezed the hand that Louis was still holding, “I think what this all comes down to is that I want a serious relationship, maybe one I’ll be in for the rest of my life.”

“And I _can’t_ be in a serious relationship at the moment.”

“Yeah,” Greg agreed.

“So what do we do? Could we try and make it work?”

“Knowing that we want different things?” Greg asked.

“I suppose not. Call it quits then?”

“I guess so,” Greg said, “before we get in too deep and we’ve got all this past trying to keep us together.”

“We’ll always have karaoke,” Louis joked.

“Always,” Greg confirmed, leaning in to press another soft kiss to Louis’s lips.

“Thank you,” Louis said as Greg pulled back, “I was in a really bad place, and you’ve made me happy again.”

“You’re welcome,” Greg smiled, “and thank you, too, you’ve made me realise what I really want.”

“Friends, yeah?”

“Of course,” Greg then put on his best sing-song voice, “radio friends.”

Louis shook his head, “You are such a dork sometimes.”

Greg shrugged, “It’s all part of my charm.”

“So,” Louis said, “do I have to leave right away, or can we stay naked until you have to leave in the morning?”

“I like the idea of staying naked.”

“Good, because we can have sex at least twice before then,” Louis grinned, “You’ve still got those gold pants, yeah?”

“How could I throw them away now?”

Louis jumped off the bed and started rummaging in Greg’s wardrobe, “Thought I’d wear them.”

Greg quickly joined him in the search, because if this was going to be some sort of watershed moment in their lives, the last great fling of Greg’s youth, the relationship Louis needed to get over Harry, they might as well have some of the best sex they could before it was over.

 

 


End file.
